Mass resignations, ‘confidential’ memo upend Kansas City homelessness board
The top leaders of the board overseeing millions in federal homelessness spending across the Kansas City region have abruptly resigned, leaving behind a blistering memo alleging conflicts of interest and a lack of financial guardrails.
The 26-page confidential memo, obtained by The Star, marks the latest revelation of the mass resignations that have roiled City Hall. The memo was prepared by three top leaders of the Continuum of Care (CoC) board, a coalition that handles how federal money for homelessness prevention programs are doled out to organizations in the Kansas City region.
“This brief documents structural governance concerns, unresolved conflicts of interest, and financial transparency gaps identified during the current MO-604 CoC Board term,” the memo said, referring to the CoC’s official name with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Shanita Bryant, board president; Lola Love, vice president; and Jessica Brown, the board secretary, each signed off on the April 30 memo. The document came just three days after the trio officially resigned from their leadership positions in a joint letter on April 27. The three officials did not resign from the board itself.
“It shouldn’t be a secret society where it’s hard for people to understand,” Bryant, who is also the founder of a group designed to address food insecurity, said in an interview explaining her decision to resign as board president.
The resignations and accusations come amid Kansas City’s yearslong struggle to combat homelessness and have caught the attention of local officials. In practice, the CoC is designed to ease the path for organizations to receive federal funding, allowing a constellation of groups to apply for funding together to address homelessness, violence and substance abuse.
For Bryant, however, the board’s alleged issues are directly related to the Kansas City region’s inability to properly provide homelessness prevention services, such as transitional housing and emergency shelter beds.
“The people who are supposed to be the experts in the room to address that are not doing it in a way that’s cohesive and helpful,” she said.
Inside the accusations
The confidential document was addressed to the full board as well as Kansas City, Jackson County and Wyandotte County officials. It highlights a slew of issues, including questions over how money is spent and conflicts between the board and the organizations that receive funding.
For example, six of the seven sitting members of the board’s Administration Committee work for organizations that receive funding from the CoC. None of those members has had to recuse themselves from decisions that could financially benefit their organizations, the document said.
“As a result, those with the greatest financial stake in funding outcomes may also hold significant influence over recommendations, internal narratives and decision-making processes,” the three top leaders wrote in a separate resignation letter reviewed by The Star.
The document also takes aim at the CoC’s lead agency, the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness, alleging that the board never reviewed a consolidated budget for that organization. In short, the board “had no visibility” into roughly $950,000 to $2.2 million in funds, the memo said.
“Whether or not any individual acted improperly, the structural conditions documented in this brief mean that the people most in need have no assurance that the system is working for them rather than for the organizations within it,” the memo said. “That is the direct community harm.”
The Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness Board of Directors, in two-page letter sent to The Star, said “moments like this underscore the importance of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.”
“We welcome thoughtful review of governance and community processes and support efforts that strengthen public confidence in the regional homelessness response system,” the statement said. “Most importantly, we remain focused on the shared mission that unites this work: helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness access safe housing, stability, and effective services as quickly as possible.”
KC leaders respond
The accusations have forced local officials to investigate. Kansas City’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday will weigh whether to authorize an audit of the city’s contracts with the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness.
The resolution, sponsored by Mayor Quinton Lucas and Council member Johnathan Duncan of the 6th District, directly mentions the mass resignations and the slew of allegations. It would allow the city’s Auditor’s Office to audit the contracts and report its findings within 45 days.
Lucas wrote in a series of social media posts last week that he was disappointed and troubled by the accusations. The mayor said he looked forward to learning more.
“If true, they’re completely unacceptable,” Lucas wrote.
A spokesperson for the City of Kansas City, in a statement to The Star, said city officials had concerns about the CoC’s “ability to consistently meet its obligations” prior to the recent resignations.
“Kansas City has been actively engaged in addressing performance and management issues and is closely monitoring the situation to ensure continuity of services across the system,” said spokesperson Asia Jones.
Jones added that the city was focused on strengthening how the region connects individuals to housing and services and touted the city’s Housing Gateway program.
“Kansas City will continue working with regional partners and service providers to ensure a coordinated, accountable and effective response for the community,” Jones said.
The controversy appears to mark another black eye for homelessness prevention services in Kansas City. City Hall has for months grappled with fallout from a sweeping criminal probe that thrust into the spotlight another nonprofit leader who worked to combat homelessness.
A federal grand jury subpoena sent to City Hall last year sought records tied to Anton Washington, the leader of Creative Innovative, a nonprofit designed to connect the city’s homeless population with resources, The Star previously revealed.
The Star also found that city officials had been on multiple occasions alerted to allegations of inappropriate behavior leveled at Washington and an email detailing some of those accusations was provided to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
There is no apparent connection between the controversies at the CoC and the FBI’s criminal probe.
